Homelessness
Homelessness in the U.S. has reached record highs in recent years, with on average over 770,000 people experiencing homelessness each night. This is driven largely by rising housing costs, a crumbling social infrastructure, and extreme economic disparities.
Types of Homelessness
| Types | |
|---|---|
| Chronic | People who which to live a home-bound lifestyle, but are experiencing long-term homelessness, often associated extreme economic injustice and social fragmentation. |
| Episodic | People who would prefer a home-bound lifestyle, but are experiencing periods of homelessness interspersed with times of stable housing. |
| Transitional | Temporary homelessness, often due to a crisis or life change. |
| Hidden | People who would prefer a home-bound lifestyle, but are homeless and undocumented by the surrounding home-bound society. |
| Nomadic | Those who choose a lifestyle that is not bound to a single location. They can also be understood as the “Home Free” as opposed to the “Home Bound”. |
People and organizations working on this issue
Community Action Partnership
Housing assistance, financial assistance and crisis support, community resource, health and wellbeing, community engagement and education.
HOME- Eviction Defense and Tenant Stabilization Program
Helps low-income tenants with eviction defense, Section 8 issues, mobile home park issues, habitability problems and price gouging.
Petaluma People Services Center
Petaluma Homelessness Prevention One-time grants for residents of Petaluma, providing rental assistance.
Reach for Home
Provide opportunities and support for participants to work toward self-sufficiency, independence, and permanent housing.
Redwood Gospel Mission
Emergency shelter 365 days a year. Intakes for men – Mon-Fri at 11am, for women Mon-Fri at 11am and Sat-Sun at 1pm, ID required.
Sonoma County Housing Authority
Local public agency that provides safe, decent and quality affordable housing and supportive services to eligible persons with limited incomes.
Sonoma Overnight Support
Information and assistance, counseling, emergency shelter. Drop In center offers use of computers, laundry, showers, and hot meals. Their services are also available to non-resident homeless.
2024 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR)
A US HUD report to Congress that provides nationwide estimates of homelessness, including information about the demographic characteristics of homeless persons, service use patterns, and the capacity to house homeless persons. The report is based on Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS) data about home-bound people who experience homelessness during a 12-month period, point-in-time counts of people experiencing homelessness on one day in January, and data about the inventory of shelter and housing available in a community.
Catholic Charities of the Diocese: Homeless Services Center and Family Support Center
Resources, counseling, intake for shelters, showers, laundry, telephone, and mail services. Emergency homeless shelter for families.
Homeless Action!
Homeless Action! Sonoma County is an all-volunteer run and the only local independent homeless advocacy organization in Sonoma County which is not beholden to funders. They are responsible only to the homeless people in our community. Their members, both housed and unsheltered, have life experiences that bring passion and dedication to tbeir work.
Fair Housing Advocates of Northern California
Provides free comprehensive fair housing counseling, complaint investigation, and assistance in filing housing discrimination complaints with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) or the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH). FHANC is a HUD certified to offer pre-purchase counseling and education programs, as well as foreclosure prevention counseling and workshops.
Nation's Finest: Santa Rosa
With 30 locations in 15 mostly rural communities in California, Arizona, and Nevada, providing critical services and support to more than 6,800 Veterans annually.
Published: Jun 28, 2026